Regional Navigation

Interstate 40 East - Knoxville to North Carolina

Interstate 40 east

U.S. 11E north & 70 east follow Asheville Highway from Burlington and Holston Hills in Knoxville to the Exit 394 diamond interchange with Interstate 40 & U.S. 25W. U.S. 25W parts ways with the freeway network for U.S. 11E & 70 east toward Strawberry Plains. Photo taken 05/01/05.

Meeting Interstate 40 next is Strawberry Plains Pike at the Exit 398 diamond interchange east of Knoxville. Strawberry Plains Road heads northeast from the exit to U.S. 25W & 70 (Asheville HIghway) at Trentville. The road in conjunction with U.S. 11E leads drivers to Strawberry Plains itself. Photo taken 05/01/05.

The Exit 407 diamond interchange with Tennessee 66 (Winfield Dunn parkway) represents the north end of the state highway. Tennessee 66 provides a gateway to the Smoky Mountains area from Interstate 40, constituting a four-lane divided highway southward to U.S. 441 at Sevierville. U.S. 441 continues the four-lane highway five miles to Pigeon Forge and its merge with U.S. 321. U.S. 411 east continues to Chestnut Hill. Photo taken 05/01/05.

Deep Springs Road intersects with Interstate 40 at the Exit 412 diamond interchange north of Tennessee State Secondary 139 on Douglas Lake. Photo taken 05/01/05.

Eastbound at the Exit 412 off-ramp to Deep Springs Road. The road heads south to Tennessee Secondary 139 west for Douglas Dam. Northward, the local road connects with U.S. 25W & 70 to the southeast of Strawberry Plains. Photo taken 05/01/05.

U.S. 25W & 70 cross paths with Interstate 40 for a second time (Exit 415) outside of Dandridge. The Exit 415 partial-cloverleaf interchange lies east of the Green Hill Road overpass at the settlement of Green Hill. U.S. 25W & 70 continue to shadow the freeway eastward from the Jefferson County seat to Clevenger and Newport. Photo taken 05/01/05.

Interstate 40 continues a short distance to the Exit 417 diamond interchange with Tennessee 92. The north-south arterial connects the freeway with Dandridge and U.S. 25W & 70. Photo taken 05/01/05.

Exit 417 carries drivers to Tennessee 92 from Interstate 40 east. Tennessee 92 continues northward seven miles to Jefferson City and junction U.S. 11E and overall 23 miles to Rutledge and junction U.S. 11W. Photo taken 05/01/05.

Exit 421 represents the end of the six-lane section of Interstate 40. Interstate 81 begins and heads 75.66 miles northeast to Bristol, Virginia while Interstate 40 turns southeast toward the Great Smoky Mountains and Asheville, North Carolina. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Immediately east of Exit 424 is the Interstate 40 crossing over Douglas Lake of the French Broad River. The four-lane crossing opened in 1960 and was reconstructed in 1983. Photo taken 05/31/07.

U.S. 25W & 70 parallel Interstate 40 across the French Broad River on the south side of the span. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Interstate 40 emerges from Douglas Lake along side Seahorn Creek into the Flat Woods. Photo taken 05/31/07.

The Cocke County seat of Newport lies ten miles ahead. Asheville is 78 miles out. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Continuing southeasterly, eastbound travelers see English Mountain along the horizon. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Cocke County is the final county of the 455.28-mile drive through Tennessee along Interstate 40 east. Photo taken 05/31/07.

U.S. 25W & 70 remain along the west side of Interstate 40 through Reidtown and a directional-cloverleaf interchange at Exits 432A/B. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Exit 432A departs Interstate 40 east in one half mile for U.S. 25W north & 70 west and the southbound beginning of U.S. 411. U.S. 411 splits at Clevenger nearby and ventures west to Chestnut Hill and Sevierville. Photo taken 05/31/07.

U.S. 411 constitutes a 314-mile route from Exit 432A of Interstate 40 to Maryville and Chatsworth, Cartersville and Rome, Georgia and Centre, Gadsden and Leeds, Alabama. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Exit 432B follows as a left-hand ramp onto U.S. 25W south & 70 east to Wilsonville and Newport. U.S. 25W & 25E combine to reform U.S. 25 nearby at West End. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Eastbound at the Exit 432B ramp departure to U.S. 25W south & 70 east. U.S. 25 & 70 follow Broadway through Newport and Dixie Highway east to North Carolina. The two US routes will interact with Interstate 40 again in Asheville, but on separate alignments. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Passing over Carson Springs along Interstate 40 east as the freeway bypasses Newport to the southwest. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Newport is the last population center of consequence along Interstate 40 in Tennessee. Waynesville, North Carolina is the next control point on this mileage sign for the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway south from Exit 27. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Drivers bound for Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains should follow U.S. 321 south from Exit 435. Tennessee 32 combines with the US highway from Newport (U.S. 25 & 70) southward to Cosby. Once at Cosby, SSR 32 spurs east to Davenport Gap near Waterville, North Carolina. Photo taken 05/31/07.

A dual English and Metric units sign lists the distance to Asheville, North Carolina as Stone Mountain comes into view. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Rolling hills lie north of the Pigeon River valley along Interstate 40 east as the freeway turns south to a gap between Green Mountain and Rich Top. Photo taken 05/31/07.

One mile north of the Exit 440 diamond interchange with Tennessee Secondary 73 (Wilton Springs Road west / Denton Road east) at the crossing of Pigeon River. Photo taken 05/31/07.

SSR 73 provides a short connection to nearby U.S. 321 & Tennessee 32 (Crosby Highway) to the west. North from Exit 440 and Wilton Springs, the state route continues to Pleasant Grove, Edwina and U.S. 25 & 70 at Newport. Photo taken 05/31/07.

A pair of weigh stations lie along the west side of Stone Mountain, three quarters of a mile south of Exit 440. Mount Cammerer of the Great Smoky Mountains occupies the southern horizon. Photos taken 05/31/07.

Exit 443 joins Interstate 40 with the east end of Foothills Parkway, a scenic route crossing Green Mountain west to U.S. 321 & SR 32 at Cosby. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Designed to compliment the Blue Ridge Parkway along the west side of the Appalachian Mountains, Foothills Parkway exists in two segments. A second portion of parkway runs from U.S. 321 at Walland southwest to U.S. 129 near Tallassee. Similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway, commercial vehicles are prohibited along both portions of the Foothill Parkway. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Interstate 40 closely follows Pigeon River southward to near Cove Creek, North Carolina. Travelers enter Pigeon River Gorge just south of the Foothills Parkway trumpet interchange. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Interstate 40 enters Cherokee National Forest through to Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. Speed limits reduce to 55 miles per hour on the drive. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Waynesville, North Carolina is now 39 miles to the east. Downtown Asheville is a 59-mile drive via Interstates 40 and 240. Photo taken 05/31/07.

A jersey barrier median separates the carriageways of Interstate 40 throughout Pigeon River Gorge. This southward scene lies ahead of the third of four crossings of Pigeon River along the freeway. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Martha Sundquist State Forest resides within Cherokee National Forest. The parkland was purchased by the state in 2001 from International Paper Company. Reaching the park requires a drive along Cripple Creek, Big Creek and Gulf Roads. Gulf Road derives its name from the Lambs Gulf Company, owners of the forest land until 1930. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Hartford Road follows both Interstate 40 and the Pigeon River from Denton to Hartford and Cripple Creek Road. A partial-cloverleaf interchange joins the freeway and local road in one mile at Exit 447. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Exit 447 leaves Interstate 40 east for adjacent Hartford Road. Hartford Road south ends nearby as Cripple Creek Road begins and journeys east to Grassy Fork. Whitewater rafting opportunities are available at this exit. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Interstate 40 turns east ahead of Gulf Mountain near Hartford. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Hugging cliffs above the Pigeon River near Big Flat Ridge and Rich Mountain along Interstate 40 east. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Rich Mountain comes into view on the Interstate 40 eastbound bend near Browns. Photos taken 05/31/07.

Exit 451 connects Interstate 40 with Waterview Road along the west side of Pigeon River and Green Corner Road east to Appalachian Trail. Waterview Road spurs southward to Waterville and Mt. Sterling, North Carolina. Photo taken 05/31/07.

Traveling at an altitude of around 1,400 feet above sea level, Interstate 40 approaches the North Carolina state line 52 miles west of Asheville. Photo taken 05/31/07.

A 419.40-mile trek through North Carolina begins along Interstate 40 at the Haywood County line near Waterville. Photo taken 05/31/07.